Personalities

  Hello, friends! We all have different personalities. Some of us are quiet, shy, gentle, and kind. Some are loud, boisterous, bold, and sassy. Some of us are the middle ground: loud when necessary, but tender. People's personalities are very fascinating to me. I wonder: What factors go in to shaping a personality? Is there a set personality that someone possesses or does it change? Why do people change? 
  One thing I noticed is that my personality is a part of me that takes different forms. Based on the people I'm with and what I'm doing, I find myself behaving differently. It's like different versions of who I am. For example, when I'm with shy people, I tend to be very outgoing and bubbly. However, when I'm with a bigger personality, I shrink into a small, timid personality. Does this happen with everyone else? I find it to be quite annoying. When I'm with a loud and crazy person, I want to be loud and crazy but I can't find the energy to. When I'm with a more reserved person, rather than being quiet with them, I'm all over the place. I wish I could just stay one way, so I don't have to be a different person with different people. Then, I wonder, maybe this chameleon thing I've got going on is a defense mechanism. Perhaps being a maniac with a maniac will cause chaos. Maybe I have to be the Ying to someone's Yang in everything. Perhaps being able to shift myself in certain situations is the best thing for me to grow. All I hope, though, is that I bring out the best in people and they bring out the best in me. 
  I apologize for this philosophical rant. Why don't you join in? What's your personality like? Do you adjust it to certain situations? 

-Love Ling